The Power of Partnering: How LCEF and ALSS Are Empowering Lutheran High Schools Together 

Synopsis: Believing in the power of partnerships, Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) reached out to the Association of Lutheran Secondary Schools (ALSS) in 2024 and struck up a collaborative agreement. The results are a new team of consultants who are intimately familiar with Lutheran high school operations and ready to help your school step confidently into the future. Learn more about the partnership and meet the team. 

Meet the Leaders Shaping the Future of Lutheran High Schools 
Just before creating Eve, God declared, “It is not good for man to be alone.” The writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us that, “…a cord of three strands is not easily broken.” Partnerships build strength and capacity. Many of our Lutheran high schools and some of our grade schools were originally formed by associations of congregations joining forces to provide quality education. The Association of Lutheran Secondary Schools (ALSS) unites Lutheran high schools from across the country, strengthening all the schools as leaders gather to sharpen one another. 

In 2024, a new partnership formed to bring even greater strength to our Lutheran high schools. ALSS and Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) entered into a collaborative agreement, joining LCEF processes with experienced ALSS leaders. The hope was that, together, we can support even more schools as they strive for excellence in all areas. Through the years, LCEF has created and curated processes to provide strategic planning, improve donor relations, implement governance models and raise capital funds. Lutheran school executives face the daily challenges related to successfully leading their schools. 

Our LCEF/ALSS collaboration equips experienced leaders to guide schools through proven processes. In September, we were excited to introduce our first cohort of ALSS leaders trained in LCEF processes. These five gifted leaders are already making a difference as we are helping those working to start new schools, those involved in strategic planning and the raising of capital campaign funds. We are pleased to introduce the first team of ALSS leaders delivering processes powered by LCEF. 

• Mr. Joel Bode, Executive Director (retired) Concordia Lutheran High School, Tomball, Texas 
• Dr. Cole Braun, CEO Lutheran High School Association of Greater Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisc. 
• Dr. Steve Buuck, Executive Director Faith Lutheran Middle and High School, Las Vegas, Nev. 
• Dr. Mary Scott, Executive Director Orange Lutheran High School, Orange, Calif. 
• Mr. Chris Steinmann, Superintendent & CEO Cleveland Lutheran High School Association, Cleveland, Ohio 

If your school is a member of ALSS, these five leaders are ready to help. This team expands our reach and capacity to serve more schools than ever before. In 2025, the power of this partnership will continue to grow and strengthen schools around the country. Plans are underway to train more ALSS leaders in the future as the demand for Lutheran education is on the rise.

Email Tim Kurth at Tim.Kurth@lcef.org, and let’s talk about how we can partner together..